Mechanistic Analysis and Characterization of Intermediates in the Phosphane-Catalyzed Oligomerization of Isocyanates.

The mechanism of the oligomerization of aliphatic isocyanates catalyzed by trialkylphosphanes has been studied through low temperature 31 P and 15 N NMR spectroscopy combined with computational chemistry. A revised mechanism is proposed that contains several (spiro)cyclic pentacoordinate phosphorous intermediates. Previously reported spectroscopic data of a transient intermediate has been reevaluated and assigned to a cyclic intermediate containing a P-N bond by experiments with 15 N-labeled isocyanate. 13 C, 15 N, and 31 P NMR shifts that support this assignment have been calculated using quantum chemical methods.